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Israel's Man Alive first came to my attention in Jericho's Echo, a documentary about the Israeli punk scene. To me, the mere existence of punk scenes in places like Israel is heartening; in these parts of the world, it can be a truly vital subculture that doesn't just act as an outlet for people, but as a true reflection of the ideas and motivations of people who live in vastly different circumstances.

That said, it should be clear that Man Alive, like their hometown compatriots Useless ID, seem to eschew politics in the lyrics. Open Surgery is not a political album; if you expect deep insights into the Israeli-Palestianian conflict, you'll be disappointed, but the music itself, which seems steeped in `90s pop-punk, does make up for that.

The album certainly opens with one of its strongest tracks, the relentlessly catchy “Give Me a Sign” and other standouts like "Against the Wall" and the zippy "Stationary.“ The real potential of the band is revealed in "Catch Phrases, Slogans and Chants,” which manages to take the band into unknown territory but with a well-bred combination of speedy pop-punk and Strike Anywhere-type breakdowns.

The album isn't truly unique by any means and might have been one of many a few years ago, but the healthy dose of shout-along choruses, fast tempos, big guitars and upbeat attitudes are not just nostalgic these days, but refreshingly simple and fun to listen to. The Millencolin comparison is one you'll likely hear a great deal when people talk about this band; the mid and fast tempos, the straightforward harmonies and sharp but not overproduced sound seem like trademarks of that band and fans of Millencolin and their genre will find much to enjoy in this record.






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    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, February 3, 2006 at 4:37 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    Score is for this album. This band rules!

    Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, February 2, 2006 at 6:10 AM (EST)

    you guys don't give useless id enough credit!
    they're as good as man alive!!

    Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, February 1, 2006 at 4:20 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    I love man-alive!
    esp jamie!! hes such a hottie omg omg... Seriously... Great band.. Great music... Wonderful pple... What can i say other than:
    manalive taasu li yeladim!!!

    Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, February 1, 2006 at 9:16 AM (EST)

    OS is one of my favorite cd's at the moment, man alive kicks ass :))

    Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, February 1, 2006 at 7:26 AM (EST)

    Man alive sux ass now because they kicked out joel the old drummer!

    Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, February 1, 2006 at 7:23 AM (EST)

    i love man alive they are the best thing to ever happen to israel! they believe in the people! and their music is the greatest sound to ever come from israel! i love jami!!!!

    Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, February 1, 2006 at 4:12 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    Useless ID Sucks noodles, don't even compare them with Man Alive, it's not even the same style.

    Besides being very dedicated to their music, Man Alive ae also extremely nice people, and that makes me like them even more.

    Even though I am more hardcore oriented, I love this CD, and their shows are the best in Israel. Too bad they're usually touring elsewhere.

    Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, February 1, 2006 at 2:45 AM (EST)

    Man Alive are one of the best bands in the world!

    Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, February 1, 2006 at 12:51 AM (EST)

    this album kicks.

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, January 31, 2006 at 11:24 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    this album is my favorite album of 2005. i don't even know how many times i've listened to it. the nicest guys ever.

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, January 31, 2006 at 10:05 PM (EST)

    useless ID was good until they started trying to be the ataris

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, January 31, 2006 at 7:16 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    great band! 'say what you want', 'open surgery', and 'rewind' are my favorite tracks.

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, January 31, 2006 at 7:16 PM (EST)

    this is one kick ass album
    it doesnt leave my cd player...

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, January 31, 2006 at 7:02 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    Man Alive owns my heart; I was smiling all the way until I read thse first few words of the last paragraph.

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, January 31, 2006 at 6:54 PM (EST)

    "Man Alive, like their hometown compatriots Useless ID, seem to eschew politics in the lyrics"

    Guess he didn't listen to the lyrics much. And Useless ID kick ass.

    Posted by SilentStorms on 2006-01-31 16:17:27

    and by kinda I mean definately

    Posted by SilentStorms on 2006-01-31 16:17:02

    Yikes, if this isn't as good as Useless ID then I don't want to hear it. Cuz Useless ID kinda sucked pole.

    Posted by AlmostPunkEnough on 2006-01-31 02:51:24
    My Score:

    there's some really good stuff on here, particularly the Millencolin-esque songs. lots of fun too. not quite as good as Useless ID, but i'm not complaining.

    Posted by stevejonestherealbones on 2006-01-31 00:25:48

    simpsons did it

    - jones the bones

    - stevejones8770@yahoo.com

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